To die in battle against Eternal Night—even in death, it was a worthy death, a fall that carried meaning. Their names were destined to be carved into the long river of history. For such a fate, they felt no fear. On the contrary, they longed for this battle. They had waited far too long. During these three years, they had thought of nothing else but attacking Eternal Night.
At this moment, accompanied by a vast, ancient battle hymn, a hundred war fortresses simultaneously tore through the void.
One could see that inside the Well of Gods and Demons, the entire tunnel had turned into a terrifying vortex, always rotating, as deep and dreadful as a bottomless abyss.
Only by stepping in could one see that the well was filled with flowing lights. Countless streams of multicolored brilliance shifted ceaselessly, while various terrifying forces twisted and clashed within the passage, becoming wild and chaotic. At every instant, storms swept through. If one's strength was insufficient, they would instantly be shredded by those bizarre forces and torn into pieces.
The entire space radiated an overwhelming oppression.
It was as though the whole path rejected anything foreign. Entering it felt like plunging into a sticky swamp—every step forward was nearly impossible. For an ordinary True Spirit cultivator, moving forward here would be arduous, almost hopeless.
Fortunately, the Well of Gods and Demons had currents that flowed both ways. Traveling from the Eternal side to Eternal Night was along the current, like going downstream—the pressure was greatly reduced. But traveling against the current was another matter: the pressure became immense, as though trying to break free from a whirlpool's heart—a hundred, a thousand times more difficult.
What's more, Great Yi had come with war fortresses.
All the troops were stationed within the fortresses, each fortress possessing formidable defensive power. Within Great Yi, geomancers and formation masters had engraved countless runes and arrays upon the fortresses. Later, when Dao-Proving experts joined, it was like a tiger given wings—the modifications became even more extraordinary.
Dao-Proving experts proficient in runes, arrays, and geomancy were not few, and this time several had joined Great Yi—such as the Seven Absolutes Celestial Lord, the Thousand Array Wanderer, and the Geomancer Celestial Lord—all masters of their paths.
Thus, the arrays on the fortresses had become even more profound. Now, even a Dao-Proving powerhouse could not easily destroy one. Even a Hunyuan expert would be held at bay for a long time. To annihilate them outright was no simple task.
This was the weapon of war forged upon the foundation of the entire Great Yi Immortal Court.
Even in the turbulent currents of space-time, their speed did not diminish. In fact, they grew ever faster.
Nothing could obstruct their passage.
This Well of Gods and Demons was different from the one once entered on the battlefield of gods and demons. There were no Eternal Night armies or fiends to block the way. This was a brand-new well, a two-realm passage belonging solely to Great Yi, untouched by Eternal Night's invasion.
The progress was so smooth it was astonishing.
Unknowingly, they had reached the end of the Well of Gods and Demons. At its end, a massive black gate blocked their path.
On its surface, countless bizarre demon-gods were engraved—terrifying heavenly fiends, grimacing and dreadful, exuding a chilling aura. A single glance at them made the soul tremble and the blood freeze.
Behind the gate lay endless horror.
"So this is the final barrier leading to Eternal Night. It is condensed from the laws of Eternal Night, from the will of its heaven and earth. Break this gate, and we can enter Eternal Night. Compared to the one we encountered back then, this gate is ten, a hundred times stronger."
"But I am no longer the man I was then."
Standing upon the Nine-Dragon War Chariot, Yi Tianxing gazed coldly at the demonic gate, sensing the power emanating from it. He knew exactly what it was. This was a trial set by Eternal Night. If they could not smash it open, they could go no farther—forced to halt here. In fact, such gates also existed within Demon Abyss. Before entering the Eternal World, if one could not break through the gate, one could never pass.
This gate was the embodiment of the will of both realms. Once shattered, it would alarm the heavens themselves, sending a message to the world's mighty beings, summoning them to resist.
The gate itself was not important—it was merely a test.
Lack strength, and retreat was the only option.
"Heavenly Emperor's Dragon Subjugation—open for me!"
Yi Tianxing stood silently for a moment, then behind him, a golden eight-clawed dragon suddenly appeared, so real it seemed solid. Its aura instantly suppressed the surrounding void, twisting space and tearing it apart with a sharp force.
Strong!
Incomparably strong!
Upon this golden dragon resided the Law of Metal, and more—supreme majesty granted by the Heavenly Emperor's will, peerless heavenly might.
The moment it appeared, countless Dao-Proving experts inside the fortresses felt their hearts tremble. This was no ordinary golden dragon. Its power was not inferior to a Dao-Proving powerhouse, perhaps even greater.
This was an Imperial Dao Divine Power.
And not just any divine power—this was Yi Tianxing's own innate Imperial Dao Divine Power, born of his life-image: the Heavenly Emperor's Dragon Subjugation Diagram!
Its potential was limitless. The higher his cultivation, the greater the might it unleashed.
Rooaaar!!
The eight-clawed dragon swelled at an astonishing speed, its body expanding until it spanned hundreds of thousands of feet. Without hesitation, it hurled itself at the black demonic gate.
This strike was like a comet striking the earth, a star crashing down from the heavens. The dragon's claws erupted with supreme martial arts techniques, adding even more force.
Boom!!
With a deafening crash, the dragon's strike landed. At the point of impact, cracks spread rapidly across the gate, racing outward.
Crack!
Boom!!
The terrifying sound of shattering filled the air. The demonic gate splintered into countless fragments, utterly destroyed. Beyond it, light burst forth.
The way was open!
Though the gate had been incomparably resilient, before the might of the eight-clawed dragon's Imperial Dao power—force equal to the pinnacle of Dao-Proving, even comparable to Hunyuan—it could not stand.
"Before us lies Eternal Night. Soldiers, in this battle we are allowed only victory, not defeat! We fight to display the might of Great Yi, to carve our glory upon this war!"
Yi Tianxing's voice rang out as he turned toward Zhuge Liang. "The command of this war, I entrust to you."
"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will not fail this trust."
Zhuge Liang's expression was solemn, but within his heart, excitement burned. To command a war against Eternal Night personally—what honor could be greater? The merits to be earned would be boundless.
The invisible benefits were innumerable.
Crack!
Rumble!!
At that moment, in the Eternal Night World—
Amidst the vast starry sky, there was a colossal star. This star-world was no less than a Great Thousand World in size. Yet it seemed dead, filled with a strange oppression. Though vitality was not absent, a heavy pressure lingered everywhere.
Across its lands yawned countless caves, the surface riddled with openings. Underground stretched endless, labyrinthine tunnels, riddled with nests.
From these cave mouths, massive insects crawled forth. These Zerg were enormous, armored in carapaces shaped like vast funnels, capable of storing vast quantities of resources. At this moment, their shells were filled with golden-hued ores—not true gold, but honeycomb-shaped minerals: Hive Secret Gold.
This rare treasure could be used to forge top-tier divine weapons and artifacts. Even a trace added in refinement could vastly elevate quality, attuning it closer to the laws of heaven and earth. It could also be used for body-tempering techniques, to forge supreme demon bodies and indestructible golden physiques.
In any force, Hive Secret Gold was a highly valuable strategic resource.
Here, however, it was piled into mountains.
This star was known as Hive Star, or Hive World—a Zerg-occupied star world famous in Eternal Night. It produced Hive Secret Gold, one of the Zerg's most important resource bases. It was their heartland, with endless Zerg numbers stationed here, and mighty Zerg experts guarding it.
Ordinarily, this was a forbidden zone for all other races. To draw near was to provoke the Zerg.
Though many Eternal Night races scorned the Zerg as cannon fodder, in truth, few dared offend them lightly. The Zerg possessed terrifying foundations. If they truly erupted, they could grind countless races into dust.
Suddenly, across this star-world, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and dark clouds pressed down. Oppression filled the heavens, as though the world itself was about to collapse in the next instant.
Danger.
Immense danger.
Countless Zerg swarmed from underground, pouring out like a tide, raising their gaze to the skies.
Boom!!
Above the Hive World, a colossal ancient well manifested without warning.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
From within the well, terrifying killing intent surged. Shouts of slaughter pierced the heavens. The next instant, a war fortress burst forth from the well, crashing into Hive World.
(End of Chapter)